Recommended Websites

Lesly Phillips

About Me:

I became an instant computer junkie back in the 80s when video games began to immerse themselves into the mainstream. I thought my mother was mean when she made me learn to type and learn the new Macintosh from the inside out. I can thank her for it now because I've experienced a multitude of great jobs in technology because of her passion, curiosity and foresight for the importance of emerging technology. I've worked with computers in education for almost 13 years and I also worked high tech industry doing Quality Assurance for a major software company. As a true gamer, I've got to side with my students in defending the benefits of video games (within reason, not excess, of course).

I have a background in elementary education as well as teaching art along with computers. I have also attained my Masters in Educational Technology from Lesley University.

Education

B.A. Liberal Studies, Studio Art Minor, CSUH

Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, Saint Mary's College

CLAD

Supplementary Teaching Credentials:

Art

Computer Concepts and Applications

M.Ed in Technology in Education

Favorite Quote:

"What is making us smarter is precisely what we thought was making us dumber: popular culture." -Steven Johnson

Benefits of Video Games

Reading: Gamers read the manuals, then search the internet to find cheat codes, walkthrough, extended help manuals, user forum, follow the dialogue of the game in order to progress, tips and tricks in gamer magazines.

Problem solving/Logic: Playing a video game is, in fact, an exercise in “constructing the proper hierarchy of tasks and moving through the tasks in the correct sequence”. “It’s about finding order and meaning in the world, and making decisions that help create that order.”

Patience Delayed Gratification: Players have to explore and sort through hypotheses in order to make sense of the game’s environment, which is why a modern video game can take forty hours to complete.

Trial and Error

Multitasking

Continuous Partial Attention.: involves skimming the surface of the incoming data, picking out the relevant details, and moving on to the next stream.

Focus: Since the video games are highly engaging the player has no difficulty focusing on the training. Remember- in order for us to learn or acquire a new skill, the first and most important ingredient is paying attention. If we can not focus then learning can not take place.

Balancing Long term goals/current objectives:focusing on immediate problems while still maintaining a long-distance view